POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1854, 3 June 1887, Page 8

POULTRY NOTES.

The special good points in duck- culture are : (1) They never have cholera, croup, 01 gapes, they never get drowned,' and after the first week not 2 per cent are lost; (2) they lay more eggs, which hatch better than hens' eggs; (3) they have fine and delicious flesh for table vise ; (4) they attain to 3£lb and 41b weight in 10 weeks' time.

CROSSBRED TABLE FOWLS.

In a recent communication to the Field Mr W. B. Tegetmeier says: — "Some yean since I made, in conjunction with someoi my friends, a series of experiments in breeding crossbred fowls for the table, my object being to combine quantity of meat on the breast, with smallness of bone and absence of useless offal, such as redundant plumage, large combs (which, in this t country aw wasted), and the tendency' to, develop fa' ternal fat. The conclusion, arrived at, botl by my friends who experimented with me and [myself, was that the breed obtained bj -mating a fair-sized Dorking cock, with large game hens gave the best result, as the i chickens had mor,e. meat; , on] the .breast, j .smaller bones in- proportion to their size, [ and a less' weightr of feathers /than anj other breeds, especially those with Cochin of Brahma blood. • "At the time these experiments wen made I had not tried the cross with the Indian game, which is, or perhaps'l should more coxreotly say was, also known as th< pheasant Malay., - These birds are larger mi closer feathered than pur" English game; i they are exceedingly massive and weighty in'; proportion to their size, > and 4 are mud heavier in hand than they appear !to the eye, \A.s .table fouls they are remarkable for tin | amount of meat on the breast, and the crossbred'chickens between ; them and Dorking are not surpassed by any that I have evei come across.' ■ ' ' t , VA short time since,. I- had to award the | priz.es for crossbred table fowl at the Watford Agricultural Show. There was a good competition, but the first s prize, was easilj taken by two cockerels so .closely resembliDjl Dorking in appearance" that- casual, oberveo would scarcely have noted; the. distinction, but their plumpness of breast and great weight were most stnking Vir I placed one in the hands of Mr'Beldon| who was ate jugding, and he was as much astonished at the 'weight of the chicken as- 1 was. Si greatly was I- struck with the excellence of these two birds, which' were shown ali«> that I was desirous- of testing their merit! on' the tabfe, but found they were entered at a, price prohibitory of tfieir being used f<* table purposes. ' -- ' l - "I have bad many opportunities of ofr serving chickens bred in this manner, and can ,most strongly recommend the cross t< anyone desirous of rearing large, hardy, ami excessively plump; chickens • for the tableSome, of course, r will come with colour^ legs, but not all.* The couple above notice had small-boned white' legs, *'and one & free from the fifth "toe,' which, •thonghin' dispensable in the- Dorking show pen, ca» only be regarded aS V useless excrescen* from a practical point of View." '

Tho tonic and ateratiye properties of Ayer'iW saparilla are too well known ip- require the iped ol * aid; of any . exaggerated or .'fictitious, certifif** Witnesses of trie marvelloufl cures effected by ti» preparation are to-< Jay living la every oity txA 6«* let of the land,— (Aiw.J

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